Urbanisation will continue to drive China forward, moving people from the countryside to the cities like Wuhan where they can earn more.

BBC: Can Wuhan's state-owned giants adapt?

They include such major cities as Wuhan and Changsha.

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The goal is clear, but getting there, finding a way through the murk and smog that hangs over cities like Wuhan, and forging a future based not on steel but a different type of economy - that's the hard part.

BBC: Can Wuhan's state-owned giants adapt?

Kejian also focuses on second-tier Chinese cities such as Wuhan, Chengdu and Shijiazhuang, leaving the biggest markets Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to the global leaders.

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The cities of Chongqing, Wuhan and Zhengzhou, for instance, have allowed first-home buyers to borrow more from government-sponsored savings funds.

WSJ: China Housing Prices Rise After 9 Months of Decline

The growth is, in large part, down to China's relentless drive to urbanise, which has now shifted from the coastal cities to inland areas like Wuhan.

BBC: Can Wuhan's state-owned giants adapt?

From Wuhan to Chongqing, Chengdu to Hangzhou, second tier cities are emerging as hubs for both international and domestic executives.

BBC: The rise of China��s secondary cities

Though still interested in Wuhan, Wharf is now focusing on property development in Shanghai, Beijing and other major cities.

CNN: BUSINESS